Cotton-seed conveyer and cleaner.



W. F. BRIDEWELL & J. w. WINFREY.

COTTON SEED CONVYER AND CLEANER v APPLIQATION FILED SEPT.8.1915.

1,235,427. Patented July 31, 1917.

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WILLIAM F. BRIDEWELL AND JAMES W. MVINFREY, 0F HOPE, ARKANSAS.

COTTON-SEED CONVEYER AND CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 31, 1917.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial No. 49,607.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. BRIDE- wn-LL and JAMES W. VVINFREY,citizens of the United States, residing at Hope, in the county ofHempstead and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cotton-Seed Conveyers and Cleaners, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in conveyers fortransporting cottonseed to its place of storage and removing therefromsand, dirt, and the like, during its travel.

In cottonseed oil factories, it is customary to conduct cottonseed inbulk to its place of storage, such as a bin, by feeding the same througha perforated conduit or trough, by means of a conveyer, such as a spiralconveyer. The trough is perforated in order that the sand, dirt, and thelike, contained in the seed, may be agitated therefrom and pass throughthe perforations in the conduit.

It is well known, that the ordinary spiral conveyor operating in theperforated trough does not satisfactorily remove the sand, dirt and thelike from the seed. Attempts have heretofore been made to improve thespiral conveyer with a view of rendering it more efficient in separatingthe sand from the cottonseed, such as by cutting openings in the spiralflange or flight of the conveyer. However, such attempts have generallyproven imsatisfactory, inasmuch as the spiral flange or flight, whenthus constructed, cuts or bruises the seed.

I have discovered, that if a spiral conveyer operating in the perforatedconduit, and embodying a continuous spiral flange or flight, is equippedwith projections or fingers extending generally in a direction parallelto the longitudinal axis of the conveyer, and spaced a suitable distancefrom the edge or periphery of the spiral flange or flight, suchprojections will agitate the cottonseed during its travel in a highlyefficient manner, whereby the sand is properly separated from the seedand passes through the openings in the perforated conduit, withoutcutting or injuring the cottonseed.

The invention aims to provide a conveyer of the above mentionedcharacter, which will thoroughly clean the sand, dirt or the like, fromthe cottonseed, will convey considerably more material in a given time,and has increased strength.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

1n the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame, I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spiral conveyer embodying theinvention, showing the same operating in a perforated conduit, and, 4

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the same.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates aperforated conduit or trough, ar- I ranged to discharge cottonseed toits place of storage. Mounted to rotate within the conduit 5 is a spiralconveyer, designated as a whole by the numeral 6. This spiral conveyerembodies a rotatable shaft 7 carrying a spiral flange or flight 8, whichis continuous. The flange 8 operates in close proximity to theperforated bottom of the conduit 5 for preventing the seed from passingbe tween the flange and the conduit, whereby itv will not be cut orinjured.

The numeral 9 designates agitating flngers, or strips, which aresubstantially L- shaped and rigidly secured to the flange 8 by means ofrivets 10, as shown. Particular attention is called to the fact that theagitating fingers or strips 9 are arranged near and spaced a slightdistance from the edge or periphery of the flange 8, providing amplespace between them and the bottom of the conduit for the passage of theseed, whereby they do not crush or cut the cottonseed when passingthrough the bottom of the conduit. The agitating fingers or strips 9have their outer ends arranged at substantiallv a right angle to theadjacent portions of the flange 8. The fingers 9 are circumferentiallyequidistantly spaced with respect to the flange 8, and are preferablyarranged in three longitudinal rows, whereby the spiral conveyer isbalanced.

In operation, the shaft 7 is rotated by any suitable means and thecottonseed containing jury thereto. The sand or dirt is thus shaken fromthe cottonseed and gravitates through the perforated portion or the cornduit 5.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claini.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

Apparatus for cleaning and conveying cotton seed without grinding orbreaking the same, comprising; a conduit formed curved in cross-sectionand having its lower portion apertured to permit of the escape of dirtor the like from the cotton seed while preventing the escape of thecotton seed; a spiral conveyer embodying a continuous flange havingsubstantially the same diameter as the interior of the conveyor andfitting snugly therein and substantially contacting therewith to propelthe cotton seed without permitting of; the passage of the cotton seedbetween the flange and the interior of the conveyor; and relatively Wideagitating strips secured to the flange at points arranged near andspaced a substantial'distance from its periphery so that a space isprovided between each strip and the bottom of the conduit for thepassage of the cotton seed to prevent the same from being broken orcrushed, said agitating strips being arranged at substantially a rightangle to the flange.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAlli F. BRIDEWELL. JAMES WV. WINFREY.

Witnesses W. E. Morrison, 7 F. 0. OOLLMAN.

fiopies of this patent may he ebtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, 33. E.

